Pity in The Scarlet Letter

Doug, Priya, Rubina, Nick, and Emily

Thesis

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester

should not pitied by the reader because she becomes an

individualistic and strong person after accepting her sin;

on the other hand, Dimmesdale should be pitied by the

reader because he suffers silently, is psychologically

preyed upon by Chillingworth, and reaches his demise.

HESTER

Romantic Individualism

Quote: “On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth surrounded

with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold

thread, appeared the letter A.” (Chapter 2, Page 61)

• She embraced the A instead of taking society’s view about it

• She pushes the the guard away to walk alone

• Rose Bush

Inner Strength

Quote: “The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers—stern and wild ones—and they had made her strong...” (Ch. 18, pg 240)

● Still has “haughty smile” despite shame; she’s able to endure● Enclosed in her own sphere, but still perseveres● Symbolically, society forgives her since she accepted her sin

DIMMESDALE

Self-Inflicted Physical Punishment “His inward trouble drove him to practices more in accordance with the

old, corrupted faith of Rome than with the better light of the church in which he had been born and bred. In Mr. Dimmesdale’s secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge. Oftentimes, this Protestant and Puritan divine had piled it on his shoulders; laughing bitterly at himself the while, and smiting so much the more pitilessly because of that bitter laugh. ” (Page 171)

★ his inner pain drove him to practices more familiar of the old corrupted Catholic Church

★ locked inside Dimmesdale's closet was a bloody whip★ whipped himself with it while laughing bitterly, causing himself to be even

more brutal for his bitter laughter★ fasted as an act of penance

Psychological Punishment “Poor, miserable man! what right had infirmity like this to burden

itself with crime? Crime is for the iron-nerved, who have their choice...to endure it...this feeble and most sensitive of spirits could do neither, yet continually did one thing or another, which intertwined, in the same inextricable knot, the agony of heaven-defying guilt and vain repentance.” Ch. 12 p. 176

● Dimmesdale and Chillingworth’s parasitic relationship● Dimmesdale has no one to turn to except God● After meeting Hester in the woods and planning to run to Europe,

Dimmesdale almost loses his self-control and reveals his secret

Tragic Demise

Quote: “in the name of Him, so terrible and so merciful, who gives me grace, at this last moment, to do what-for my own heavy sin and miserable agony-I withheld myself from doing seven years ago, come hither now, and twine thy strength about me!” (chapter 23, page 303)

- glad that he has one last chance to make up for his sin.- despite his weakness, he gets himself onto the scaffold in front of the town to express his sorrow and misery.

- expresses the pain he has been in due to his failure to act upon his sin earlier along with Hester and from the guilt of hiding it for so long.